References to gaming and a possible controller for the Apple TV have been discovered in the iOS 4.3 beta code, suggesting that Apple could be planning to take on traditional gaming consoles over control of the TV.

Prior to Apple's announcement of the new $99 streaming Apple TV, rumors swirled that the device, which runs a variant of iOS, could gain support for third-party iOS apps in the next revision. Those rumors failed to materialize, but a new report claims to have found evidence of future gaming features for the Apple TV in an iOS 4.3 beta.

Engadget reports that a tipster has notified them of references to online gaming support in a recent iOS 4.3 beta. "Several references have been found pertaining to "ATVGames" and "ATVThunder" that point to a controller of some sort, leaderboards (think Game Center), a way to schedule games (multiplayer?), and a store front (think App Store, iTunes)," the report noted.

Two strings, "com.apple.appletv.play.live.thunder" and ".play.archive.thunder," may point to the possibility of streaming games to the Apple TV or archiving them for offline play. The report's source speculated that "the OpenGL is mature and thoroughly implemented enough that streaming low bandwidth data and computing locally could happen," though the report was quick to disclaim that there's nothing in the code to suggest that will be the case.

Two more codenames, Sedona and Flagstaff, named after cities in Arizona, were also discovered in the beta. With references to director, episode and season, Sedona may be a new "video merchandising and streaming" feature, according to the report. The Flagstaff code references "Account Types and Merchants," but otherwise remains a mystery.

Apple in the living room

The addition of gaming to the Apple TV could create further inroads for Apple into consumers' living rooms and provide fierce competition to incumbents like Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. After Apple unveiled the revamped Apple TV in September of last year, Wall Street analysts viewed it as a small "step in the right direction."

Rumors of an Apple HDTV have persisted for years. Analyst Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray has long believed that Apple will release an Apple-branded HDTV as early as by the end of calendar year 2012. Munster recently pointed to Apple's $3.9 billion pre-pay investment as possible evidence of an upcoming Apple HDTV set.

In September of last year, analyst Maynard Um of UBS analyzed the state of the "Global Digital Living Room" and pegged Apple as the front runner. The report did, however, note that TV is the one platform in Apple's ecosystem that needs substantial improvement.

iOS gaming

The popularity of games on iOS has contributed to the runaway success of the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, while also putting handheld gaming device makers like Sony and Nintendo on the defensive. Apple CEO Steve Jobs boasted in September last year that the iPod touch had become the "world's most popular game player."

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime told reporters last year that Apple is a bigger threat than Xbox maker and rival Microsoft. Sony and Google will team up against Apple in a new PlayStation Suite for Android platform that will bring PlayStation games to Google's mobile OS.

According to a December 2010 report by Interpret, Apple's iOS devices are displacing standalone gaming devices, as the proportion of games played on the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP have declined 13 percent over the last year.

Why not have all the big developers and smaller developers selling games for the AppleTV with Apple taking a 30% cut without the need for additional overhead? If Apple feels they need a breakaway title or something extra special to demonstrate the platform they can do what theyve done every year in the past with iOS and had select developers have early access to the SDK, sometimes within the halls of Cupertino, so they can get a demo ready for a Special Event along with Apples engineers helping them along.

Apple would ruin gaming. Imagine the ridiculous guidelines games would have to follow. No grand theft auto I imagine. Also do you really think apple can compete with the big boys? Xbox kinect is the fastest selling gadget of all time, taking that honor from apple themselves

Apple would ruin gaming. Imagine the ridiculous guidelines games would have to follow. No grand theft auto I imagine. Also do you really think apple can compete with the big boys? Xbox kinect is the fastest selling gadget of all time, taking that honor from apple themselves

gee, you mean no de-humanizing virtual sadism and sociopathy packaged excitingly as entertainment for adolescents of all ages on Apple iOS products? how terrible! yes, MS should indeed take that "honor." or even Android. after all, It's Open!

Maybe this is going to be the amazing fall iOS update, rather than an iPad 3?

enabling Apple TV's much bigger iOS potential has to be in Apple's near term plans - i mean this year - and prior to the Holiday season is obviously the right time. remember, first we will see iOS 5 coming with iPhone 5 in June. presumably it will come to the iPad and iPod touch a few months later in the Fall too.

i don't know if this literally means a new third category of iOS apps for AppleTV, or it will something to be projected via Airplay from iPads, or some combination. but the content has to be in 16:9 720p format, at least as processed in AppleTV.

so instead of the dumb "guess" of a new iPad 3 in the Fall, what is really cooking and starting the rumor mill is very possibly iOS 5 - which has to now be in fairly advanced pre-beta development - and its new iPad/AppleTV features.

games would be the obvious thing to hype. Apple would already be talking now to some key game developers about it.

I'm more interested in the App Store as a whole coming to the Apple TV. There is a massive feature gap between the US version and the international version. For instance It would finally allow others in the world to have access to their local equivalent of Netflix such as BBC iPlayer in the UK.

I'm pretty sure developers could come up with some awesome ideas for the Apple TV given the chance.

Finally! Apple TV will be an awesome platform for gaming. They should have done this years ago.

I've been saying it for months now on these forums - all Apple needs to do is double the CPU and put in a decent GPU and bam! PS3 competitor. Sony is doing this with their PSP2.

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankie

Apple should buy EA.

They could steal the biggest developer and keep it to themselves.

This I don't agree with. It's pretty simple. As it is, Apple is attracting major developers to iOS. An AppleTV game console running triple-A console titles on iOS that also runs iPhone, iPad apps etc. would attract all the developers you would ever need.

Apple doesn't have to get involved with all these shenanigans of feeding the fat cats of game development. That model is broken. Why waste money on EA when EA itself + everyone else will come banging on Apple's door to release AppleTV games.

Apple would ruin gaming. Imagine the ridiculous guidelines games would have to follow. No grand theft auto I imagine. Also do you really think apple can compete with the big boys? Xbox kinect is the fastest selling gadget of all time, taking that honor from apple themselves

The iPhone is the most popular game platform in the world. Casual gaming is a big market. Any Apple TV game platform is not likely to compete with PS3/Xbox. Wii should worry, though. Nintendo is the sort of operation I could see Apple just burying.

So... will the AppleTV for games go back to the PPC? The PPC dominates the game market. And by dominates, I mean it's the only game in town (pun intended).

Apple would ruin gaming. Imagine the ridiculous guidelines games would have to follow. No grand theft auto I imagine. Also do you really think apple can compete with the big boys? Xbox kinect is the fastest selling gadget of all time, taking that honor from apple themselves

You mean like the Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars port already on the iPhone and iPad?

I have an Apple TV. My girlfriend has an Apple TV. It's the most awesomest thing in the world that I can go over to her place with movies/shows on my iPad/iPhone and stream them to the TV via AirPlay. Netflix, photos, etc... All for $99. Wow!!!

Ok, but now give us the ability to plug in a hard drive, give us apps and I'm willing to pay $$$ more for it.

I have been insulted on this site and the moderators don't give a stuff.
These people who insult should be banned, instead I am being ignored or belittled.
If these moderators cannot do their job properly, I think they should step down.
Come one ban me, this will be just like censorship, because you don't like criticism right.

One, don't you love this site and the insane batshit claims which roll out smeared in hyperbole. All this talk of Apple having Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo on the defensive makes me laugh. For a start Nintendo have been around for over one hundred years, they're a company who have adapted and made their mark in the world.

Jobs said: "We did not enter the search business, they entered the phone business. Make no mistake they want to kill the iPhone. We wont let them. This dont be evil mantra, it's bullsh*t."...

Apple claim that the iPhone is their business, they claim that Google entered THEIR market with the launch of the Nexus One and they had no business doing so. Well, 1984 called and Apple are invading many different types of business...just like when the iPod ate into the Walkman. Apple want control over the mobile networks, your music, how you buy your media and as rumors suggest the television set itself.

Gaming on iOS is 99% lolcat quality stuff and Apple will never take that market from the big three. Also, buying EA wouldn't work...there are long term contracts in place to make sure of that and besides there are only so many touch games the iPad can handle before they just become bleh.

I've been saying it for months now on these forums - all Apple needs to do is double the CPU and put in a decent GPU and bam! PS3 competitor. Sony is doing this with their PSP2.

You mean a decent CPU and double the GPU, right? CPUs don't mean that much for games. Look at the Alienware Mx11.

And no, better hardware is not all Apple needs. They need at least two shoulder buttons, otherwise games will continue to be too shallow, ESPECIALLY SHOOTERS.

Quote:

This I don't agree with. It's pretty simple. As it is, Apple is attracting major developers to iOS. An AppleTV game console running triple-A console titles on iOS that also runs iPhone, iPad apps etc. would attract all the developers you would ever need.

Apple doesn't have to get involved with all these shenanigans of feeding the fat cats of game development. That model is broken. Why waste money on EA when EA itself + everyone else will come banging on Apple's door to release AppleTV games.

But... but... I want BioWare!

iPhone 4S 64GB, Black, soon to be sold in favor of a Nokia Lumia 920Early 2010 MacBook Pro 2.4GHz, soon to be replaced with a Retina MacBook Pro, or an Asus U500

Finally! Apple TV will be an awesome platform for gaming. They should have done this years ago.

Why? Apart from the fact that no serious game development was happening for the Mac platform, apples attempts at gaming previously had crashed and burned.

Now is the first realistic time for them to consider this, an ecosystem is in place, a massive user base pre-installed. But the competition from X-Box and Sony is massive - Apple aren't consider a platform for "serious" gamers, so this remains a hobby for the time being.

What I want to see is for media producers to get with the game and start releasing content for Apple - the UK selection on Apple TV is pitiful. That isn't Apple's fault, the device is great and has massive potential.

Also do you really think apple can compete with the big boys? Xbox kinect is the fastest selling gadget of all time, taking that honor from apple themselves

Let's see how fast it's selling 1 or 2 quarters from now, never mind 1 or 2 years. And let's gloss over the fact that Apple sold as many iPhones (costing several times more) as Kinects in the last quarter alone, and that doesn't include iPod Touches which can run the same software.

Hmm... well it involves running around shooting people and stealing cars, it's developed by Rockstar and it has GTA in the title, so how do you figure?

Perhaps it's not a real GTA game because then it wouldn't fit it with your world view?

You might want to read up on the no true Scotsman fallacy.

Between GTA, Dead Space, Nova, Call of Duty, etc I think Apple have demonstrated that they aren't afraid to have violent, bloody games on the platform. Now do you or tjw actually have any evidence of Apple rejecting games (for being too violent, as opposed to racist or pornographic), or are you just trolling?

"There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance" - Steve Ballmer

Let's see how fast it's selling 1 or 2 quarters from now, never mind 1 or 2 years. And let's gloss over the fact that Apple sold as many iPhones (costing several times more) as Kinects in the last quarter alone, and that doesn't include iPod Touches which can run the same software.

I think tjws post is mostly ridiculous but the Kinect deserves its props for rapid sales. I problem with Kinect that tjw didnt address is that it cant compete long term, especially the iPhone. The reason is that its a complementary product; an accessory. It requires that an XBOX 360 to be used in conjunction with Kinect.

How many XBOX 360s has MS sold in total? How many iPhones did Apple sell just last quarter? Kinect will spark a few more XBOX sales but the interest has a small window and low ceiling of sales even if it does take off fast n initial sales. I dont think even [B]tjw] expects the Kinect or Kinect 2 to be the number holiday gift next year.

Finally! Apple TV will be an awesome platform for gaming. They should have done this years ago.

How big (or should I say small) is the AppleTV (Rev2) install base? It's still more of a hobbyist device. Apple don't even offer TV Shows outside of the U.S./Canada so it sells feck all outside those areas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digital_Guy

Apple needs to acquire OnLive.

If you haven't heard of this yet, or don't have it, you can read about
and get it here:

Apple needs to get OnLive. Before they become too big,
arrogant and expensive, and before someone else does.

OnLive cannot realistically take off for the masses until more and more people have at least 5Mbit+ internet connections.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splinemodel

The iPhone is the most popular game platform in the world. Casual gaming is a big market. Any Apple TV game platform is not likely to compete with PS3/Xbox. Wii should worry, though. Nintendo is the sort of operation I could see Apple just burying.

The Nintendo DS has sold over 144million, the iPhone over 73million. But even new games bought in 2011 will run on a DS from 2004, can't say that about the iPhone.
Sony & Microsoft have no cash, Nintendo however is as wealthy as Apple. Nintendo will continue to survive and thrive in the gaming market while they have their iconic IP's. Nintendo could have forsaken third-party support and still sold the ton of Wii's & DS's they have sold to date. If you think Apple could come close to burying Nintendo in the gaming market then you need a big wake-up call

Quote:

Originally Posted by Socrates

You mean like the Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars port already on the iPhone and iPad?
Yeah, Apple would never allow that

Apple doesn't have to get involved with all these shenanigans of feeding the fat cats of game development. That model is broken. Why waste money on EA when EA itself + everyone else will come banging on Apple's door to release AppleTV games.

Because a good 1st party exclusive is a nice jumpstart for any platform. You might even call this a halo effect...

I think buying bungie might be better...and restart the Marathon franchise with an emphasis on mulit-player play leveraging iPads, iPods and iPhones as game pads. You don't want something huge like EA.

The one thing that Apple needs to do is add api calls to support BT devices like this: